Retail Technology

The rapid advances in digital and automation technologies have led to new developments in a number of industries, the retail industry being one of them. From check-out to inventory management, fulfillment to in-store facilities, retail technology includes the implementation of innovations and digital solutions in retail and e-commerce processes. The use of retail technology plays a fundamental role in customer experience. Today, both brick-and-mortar and online businesses invest in many aspects of retail technology. In-store retail tech tools include the use of technologies powered by Artificial Intelligence, such as smart mirrors and self-checkouts. For e-commerce businesses, retail technologies enable efficient inventory management with the help of cloud software, help manage customer bases and maintain a frictionless retail experience across multiple platforms through CRM tools.

Size of the global retail automation market in 2021
12.2b U.S. dollars
Value of funding received by in-store retail technology companies worldwide in 2021
10.5b U.S. dollars
Share of U.S. consumers who will have used AR devices when buying products online by 2025
28%

Market size

Potential for investment growth

Retail technology financing deals worldwide from 2018 to 2022 (in billion U.S. dollars)

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Further details: Visit original statistic Retail technology financing deals worldwide from 2018 to 2022 (in billion U.S. dollars)

Retail technology is key for brick-and-mortar companies, B2B and B2C e-commerce businesses, online marketplaces, and e-services like meal kit and food delivery. In recent years, financial funding into these segments has grown substantially, encouraging businesses towards the digital transformation of their organizations. In 2021, investments and funding of over 100 billion U.S. dollars went into retail tech deals across all sectors.

Immersive technology use among consumer and retail companies
Supply chain and logistics retail tech funding worldwide
Online grocery and meal delivery retail tech funding worldwide

Market segments

Retail tech: behind the scenes and at the store front

Quarterly e-commerce retail technology deal financing worldwide from Q1 2018 to Q3 2022 (in billion U.S. dollars)

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Further details: Visit original statistic Quarterly e-commerce retail technology deal financing worldwide from Q1 2018 to Q3 2022 (in billion U.S. dollars)

Retail technology aids both brick-and-mortar and e-commerce companies in several steps of their business processes. Supply chain and logistics are areas in which both online and conventional retail companies benefit from digital solutions. For e-commerce and multichannel businesses, retail technologies such as payments and personalization attract more investment and interest. On the store front, retail technology plays a big part in transforming today's retail stores into experiential spaces.

Retail technology impact on shopping experience in the U.S.
In-store retail tech funding worldwide
Impact of in-store navigation on consumer royalty in the U.S. and the UK

Industry trends

Next stage in brick-and-mortar retail

Global virtual fitting room market size in 2021, with a forecast from 2022 to 2028 (in billion U.S. dollars)

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Further details: Visit original statistic Global virtual fitting room market size in 2021, with a forecast from 2022 to 2028 (in billion U.S. dollars)

Digital technologies in retail are widely used by e-commerce businesses, but it is brick-and-mortar and multichannel retail businesses that are now spearheading the adoption of retail technologies in the retail industry at large. Among the in-store retail technologies that companies prioritize are smart or self-checkout kiosks, smart fitting rooms powered by augmented or virtual reality, and widespread digital payment options.

Global stores with autonomous checkouts
Leading retail companies that applied for IoT related patents
Virtual Assistant Technology

Industry leaders

Asia wins the retail tech game

Share of retail technology financing deals undertaken worldwide in 3rd quarter 2022, by region

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Further details: Visit original statistic Share of retail technology financing deals undertaken worldwide in 3rd quarter 2022, by region

Worldwide, the largest share of investments and funding into retail tech is concentrated in Asia. This is not surprising seeing as the region currently has the highest online revenues and the most e-commerce users. North America is a close runner-up, having received around 34 percent of global retail tech funding as of the third quarter of 2022. Compared to the biggest two retail tech trailblazers, Europe is lagging behind in terms of retail tech investments.

Market size of automated retail services in China
Estimated revenue of the beauty tech market by country
Smart mirror usage in selected countries

State of the industry

  • Mobile Payments II: The business models behind mobile payments
  • Social commerce in the United States
  • Beauty tech
  • Live commerce in China

Industry definition

Retail technology refers to the digital tools and innovations utilized by brick-and-mortar retailers and e-commerce platforms in their in-store and supply chain operations. It sits at the heart of the digital transformation of retail businesses. Retail technology tools are often powered by automation, the Internet of Things (IoT), and Artificial Intelligence (AI). Data on retail technology provided by Statista cover the usage of retail technology in both physical and online retail, monitoring the current and planned investment and roll-out of retail technologies in the larger retail and e-commerce sectors.

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